Search smh:

Search in:

ASADA probe complete, says Andruska

Outgoing Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority chief executive Aurora Andruska says the 13-month investigation into the use of drugs in the AFL and NRL has been completed.

Andruska told a Senate committee on Wednesday night that her organisation would now prepare briefs for retired Federal Court judge Garry Downes to review and he would decide whether to pursue any cases against individuals.

For such cases with enough evidence to pursue, they will be sent to the Anti-Doping Violation Panel for preparation of an infraction notice.

"Mr Downes will look at the information and the evidence and say how the cases will be taken forward," Andruska told the hearing.

Advertisement

"He's providing an independent view. This has been an investigation that's been under extreme scrutiny from the beginning. At some point someone was going to come into ASADA and undertake a complete review."

Federal Sports minister Peter Dutton, who appointed Downes to the role, recently said the retired judge would be expected to provide an assessment by April.

AFL club Essendon and NRL club the Cronulla have been the focus of the agency's probe, which started in February 2013.

Earlier, Andruska said the Australian Federal Police and Deloitte investigation found no one within their organisation was responsible for leaking sensitive information to the media.

During the peak of ASADA's investigation into players in the NRL and AFL, several sensitive documents were published in the media last year that related to Cronulla and Essendon.

"There were media suggestions, and from other quarters, that the organisation was leaking," Andruska told the senate estimates hearing on Wednesday.

"I brought in Deloitte and the AFP to make examination of any leaks occurring, and there were none. ASADA was not leaking."

Andruska said the investigation examined all communication that had been made and received by the organisation over the past several years.

She said she could only speculate where the leaks came from, and when invited by the senators to do so, replied: "I don't think that's an answer I'd give".